Central Intelligence Agency, U.S.

Background

Although intelligence had been gathered for use by the military and government agencies since the Revolutionary War, there was no centralized system to coordinate this information until World War II. Before this, various branches of government, including the U.S. Army, Navy, State, and Treasury departments, maintained [Page 127]separate intelligence-gathering offices. There was no coordination or cooperation between these different offices, and there was often duplication of efforts. After the United States entered World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt sought to improve the control and direction of intelligence gathering conducted on behalf of the United States. To that end, Roosevelt formed the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) by means of a military order on June 13, 1942. The OSS was charged with collecting and analyzing intelligence data needed by the military during the war. As a result, the OSS provided the military with reports containing facts and analysis, although it did not have the sole responsibility for intelligence gathering internationally. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) maintained control of information-gathering in Central and South America, while the Army and Navy jealously maintained control of their own intelligence infrastructure.

General David Petraeus shakes hands with his biography author Paula Broadwell, July 13, 2011. Sworn in as Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director with his wife, Holly, by his side in September 2011, Petraeus began an extramarital affair with Broadwell two months later, creating yet another deception scandal for the CIA. The Federal Bureau of Investigation discovered a private Gmail account where Petraeus used an alias.

After the allied victory in World War II, President Harry S. Truman dissolved the OSS by means of an executive order in October 1945. At that point, the OSS's Strategic Services Unit, which was responsible for clandestine intelligence and counterespionage, was absorbed into the War Department. The Interim Research and Intelligence Service, which conducted analyses on intelligence, was moved to the State Department. The Psychological Warfare Division, which focused on morale and propaganda, was split between the War Department and the Army General Staff.

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